Juba, December 19, 2018 (SSNA) — South Sudan’s security forces have detained, attacked, blindfolded, kicked, robbed, stripped, and handcuffed peace monitors as they made their way to Luri, a government source with a full knowledge of the event told the South Sudan News Agency (SSNA) on Wednesday in Juba.
The official who works for the government described that the detained peace monitors were heading to Luri to investigate an alleged violation of the peace implementation.
“The report that I received indicates that there are at least two sites in Luri where the government is training new military recruits. A lot of people told me it is true. I believe this is the reasons those monitors were trying to investigate,” the source explained.
“I think peace monitors got a piece of very good information because if it is true that the government is training new recruits then it is a violation of the ongoing peace process,” the source continued.
The South Sudan News Agency cannot independently verify the alleged new military training sites in Luri.
However, The Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM), the body legally tasked to investigate alleged violations of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) confirmed the attack.
“CTSAMVM condemns in the strongest terms the appalling attack that took place on 18 December 2018, on its Monitoring and Verification Team in the Luri area. CTSAMVM has launched a full investigation into the events in which TGoNU security forces assaulted and illegally detained senior ranking male and female officers and support personnel from IGAD guarantor nations who are assigned as International Observers to CTSAMVM,” a statement obtained by the SSNA reads in part.
The peace monitoring body calls on the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) to investigate, punish those who attacked its monitors, and reminds the government that its actions are in accordance with national and international laws.
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Peace monitors bear badges, instignas and documents that labelled them, belonging to IGAD or other organisations.They are also nationals from different countries. They are different from the locals by colours, languages, accents and other specific features that they don’t share with all South Sudanese ethnicities, hence making them easily identifiable. No government forces or the locals should mistake them for an enemy. It is unlikely that the ones encountered were peace monitors but masqueraders or spies. If they were peace monitors, they would have been known to central government and local authorities. When in a different sovereignty as an outsider, it is a rule of thumb that your presence and mission are known to the government, its citizens, legit and given greenlight.
No foreigners without confirmed status of residencies are allowed to meander in a foreign nation that is not their own without agreements between the host governments, host citizens and those of other countries or associations from which they come. Like other nations, developing or advanced, South Sudan is not a wilderness. It is a countries with authorities and people whose permission should be sought by outsiders. It is therefore nonsensical to blame the government upon any doings.
You must be out of your mind Bala. Peace monitors include South Sudanese. Do you really understand who are the monitors? Those who were assaulted include even some East Africans (non-South Sudanese). Everybody knows there is an evil plan in Luri and Kiir doesn’t want peace monitors to see.
Mr William S.M Deng
Here is a good question, what business is the CTSAMVM after in Luri, given the fact that there are no military clashes in that place to investigate? The answer is none. There are no peace violations there and thus leaving most people with conclusion that the team perhaps went to Luri for an espionage purpose.
There was no military clash there, but the clash is not the only peace violation. Those peace monitors were heading to Luri for a serious investigation acting on a tip that Kiir is training new military recruits in Luri. Why keep misleading people ya Bala?